Rally takes over Victoria Law Courts entrance to support Unist’ot’en Camp

A rally in Victoria took over the front steps of the Victoria Law Courts Thursday to stand in solidarity with Unist’ot’en – a permanent, non-violent Indigenous occupation south of Houston, B.C. set up to protect unceded Unist’ot’en territory from pipeline construction.

The Unist’ot’en Camp is along the proposed route of multiple LNG pipelines, including TransCanada Coastal GasLink who filed an application for an injunction Nov. 26 in Prince George B.C. Supreme Court to enforce access to areas blocked by the Unist’ot’en camp.

The hearing began this week, inspiring Victoria activists to head to the courthouse “in support for Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs and the Unist’ot’en Yintah.”

“We want to show our support for Unist’ot’en and the five hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en who continue to assert jurisdiction over their territories and steadfastly say ‘NO consent for fracked gas pipelines!’” said rally organizers.

Chanting “We stand with Unist’ot’en,” the group walked from the Greater Victoria Public Library over to the courthouse around noon to assemble on the front stairs of the law courts and block the front entrance.